Expedition agroparks: Research by design into sustainable development and agriculture in the network society

309 Pages·2011·20.77 MB·English

by  Peter J. A. M. Smeets (auth.), Peter J. A. M. Smeets (eds.)

Expedition agroparks
Expedition agroparks
Research by design into sustainable development
and agriculture in the network society
Peter J.A.M. Smeets
Wageningen Academic 
P u b l i s h e r s
This work is subject to copyright. All rights
are reserved, whether the whole or part of
the material is concerned. Nothing from this
publication may be translated, reproduced,
stored in a computerised system or published in
any form or in any manner, including electronic,
mechanical, reprographic or photographic,
without prior written permission from the
publisher:
Wageningen Academic Publishers
P.O. Box 220
6700 AE Wageningen
The Netherlands
ISBN: 978-90-8686-163-7 www.WageningenAcademic.com
e-ISBN: 978-90-8686-719-6
Table of contents
Preface 9
Acknowledgements 11
Summary 17
1. Context, aim and method of this book 17
2. Te network society 18
3. Delta metropolises 20
4. Agriculture in the network society 21
5. Teoretical starting points in research by design 21
6. Research by design applied to agroparks 23
7. Discussion 33
1. Context, aim and method 37
1.1 Scientifc objective 41
1.2 Method 42
1.3 Reading guide 44
2. Te network society 47
2.1 Te emergence of the network society 47
2.2 Time and space in the network society 51
2.3 T e environmental movement’ as a synthesis of spaces of fows and
spaces of places 56
2.4 Spatial development policy 58
3. Delta metropolises 65
3.1 Te historical development of cities: centralisation and dispersal 65
3.2 Polycentric mega city regions 71
3.3 Spatial planning of metropolises in the network society 78
3.4 Delta metropolises 84
3.5 Te Northwest European delta metropolis 88
4. Agriculture in the network society 93
4.1 Mega-trends in the urbanised network society 93
4.2 Agriculture in the network society 105
4.3 Spatial planning of agriculture in the network society 111
Expedition agroparks 7
Table of contents
5. Teoretical starting points in research by design 119
5.1 Research by design 119
5.2 Teoretical production ecology and the De Wit curve 121
5.3 L andscape ecological theory and the three dimensions of
landscape 127
5.4 Te design process during design and implementation 132
6. Research by design on agroparks 145
6.1 Defnition of agroparks 145
6.2 Deltapark 151
6.3 Agrocentrum Westpoort 161
6.4. New Mixed Farm 177
6.5 WAZ-Holland Park 200
6.6 Biopark Terneuzen 210
6.7 Greenport Shanghai 224
6.8 IFFCO-Greenport Nellore 240
6.9 Iterative testing of the resulting hypotheses 256
6.10 Conclusions from research by design 261
7. Discussion 271
7.1 Resource use efciency of metropolitan foodclusters 271
7.2 Landscape theory 277
7.3 Methodical elaboration 281
7.4 Greenport Holland 288
7.5 Te knowledge infrastructure of Greenport Holland 293
References 301
About the author 313
Keyword index 315
8 Expedition agroparks
Preface
Tis book is the result of several years of expedition into uncharted territory by the
author Peter Smeets. His fascination for the Dutch agricultural landscapes led him
to the conclusion that improving the efciency of agriculture is the most efective
way to safeguard the quality of such landscapes. Te wasteful modes of production
developed in the past 150 years have led to a serious decline in both the surface area
and the quality of the high valued landscapes. Closing the loops within the agricultural
production system and increasing their productivity is therefore the best remedy to
arrest this decline.
Closing loops and increasing productivity is something that forms the very foundation
of agriculture, viewed at systems level. Agriculture is nothing more than making
productive use of the natural processes of photosynthesis and nutrient-cycling. So,
restoring these cycles within the agricultural production system and increaing their
productivity became the aim of the expedition.
By combining diferent modes of agricultural production, i.e. by coupling plants and
animals in cycles that at the end of the day have few if any leftovers, waste will be a
thing of the past, energy consumption will be minimised, and the productive use of the
land maximised. Tis is the basic concept underpinning the development of agroparks:
new combinations of agricultural production in a confned region that make it possible
to close loops and optimize the efcient use of inputs. By developing agroparks in
urbanized or metropolitan areas, other forms of more extensive or recreational land
use and landscape conservation become possible.
Smeets carried out a substantial part of his expedition while working with the
TransForum innovation organization. His ideas ftted in closely with the objectives
TransForum was working on: to show that the more sustainable development of
agriculture is possible and to illustrate how current and future knowledge can
contribute to that development. Te agroparks that Smeets describes in this study
are all examples of what one might call ‘sustainable intensifcation’. It is about
intensifcation in terms of ‘doing more with less’, but it is also a step towards more
sustainable development by eliminating wastage and reducing the negative impact of
agriculture on its physical, social and natural environment.
For everybody involved in the challenging endeavour of improving agriculture and
opening up a new future, I very much recommend reading this book. It contains
inspiring examples of new and promising pathways for agriculture that will help shape
the future, not only of agriculture but also of our landscapes and green space.
Dr. Henk C. van Latesteijn
General Manager, TransForum
Expedition agroparks 9
Acknowledgements
Te plan for writing this book is now more than 12 years old. When, in 1996, the
opportunity arose to work extra hours to save up for a sabbatical leave, I seized it
with the ambition of being able to write this publication after 7 years’ saving, and
building up the knowledge required for it until that time. Te basis for the content
of the book had already been laid in the years before when I worked at the former
Rijksplanologische Dienst (Physical Planning Agency) on the Rural Areas and Europe
project. Research by design, co-design, action research, these are all perfect words
for the methodology used in this thesis, but also for the way in which we dealt at that
time with spatial planning under the inspirational leadership of Peter Dauvellier and
Hans Leefang and in the project group with Frans Bethe, Emmy Bolsius, the late Jan
Groen, Yvonne van Bentum, Lilian van den Aarsen and Marcel Wijermans.
Te plan was there, but in the daily practice of integral management of Centrum
Landschap, it could only lie dormant. However, as a manager in the years from 1996 to
2004 I did succeed in inspiring on an intrinsic level, and working in a culture in which
entrepreneurial researchers took responsibility for the content they wanted to develop.
An important stimulus for me was working in the Tink Tank on the Pig Sector with
Ge Backus, Jan Blom, Johan van Bommel, Arjen Bonthuis, Herman Bosman, Teo
Coppens, Eric Daandels, Henk de Lange, Bennar Dirven, the late Jaap Frouws, Anton
Hilhorst, Chris Hoeven, Teo Holleman, Chris Kalden, Jan Melis, Huub Nooijen,
Ad Romme, Arjan Schutte, Bennie Steentjes, Eric Tijssen, John van Paassen, Dick
van Zaane, Kees Veerman, Hans Verhoeven, Rene Vermunt, Peter Vingerling, Teo
Vogelzang, Chris Wijsman, Marcel Zandbelt and Wijno Zwanenburg. In my experience
the Tink Tank was the frst time that science stepped out of the academic world
into society, to really get a system innovation going together with entrepreneurs,
community groups and governments. In the Tink Tank I learned frst and foremost
that despite all the criticism, which certainly at that time was aimed at livestock
farming in the Netherlands, this latter is at the same time and precisely because of
this criticism, the best in the world.
With the budget that Wageningen UR made available from 2000 for strategic
knowledge development, we set up the Regional Dialogue and proceeded with the
research by design in a practice of transdisciplinarity. In the background, Dick van
Zaane stimulated the innovation, which we wanted to be involved in, frst in Zeeland
and then in North Limburg. Te list of active participants in the report on the Regional
Dialogue North Limburg flls two pages but Jan Ammerlaan, Frans Bethe, Jannemarie
de Jonge, Klaas de Poel, Romé Fasol, Eric Frijters, Hans Hillebrandt, the late Jan
Heurkens, Paul Kersten, Raymond Knops, Gé Peterink, Marcel Pleijte, Maarten Souer,
Hans Sprangers, Paul Stelder, Jan van de Munnickhof, Madeleine van Mansfeld, Peter
Expedition agroparks 11
Acknowledgements
van Weel, Mark Verheyen, Marcel Wijermans and Annoesjka Wintjes still remain in
my memory as inspirers. Together we stood in North Limburg on the site of what has
since evolved into Greenport Venlo, a region which the whole world comes to see as
an example of modern agrologistics and which will house the Floriade in 2012. When
we began, the joint problem as perceived was a regional inferiority complex. Now
we from our side are justifably proud that we are still able to be part of the process.
In 2002 the Innovatienetwerk Groene Ruimte en Agrocluster (Innovation Network)
arose from the former NRLO. Te spiritual father of Innonet, A.P. Verkaik supported
our work in North Limburg from the word go, and within Innovation Network Jan
de Wilt was a frst-rate advocate when it came to research by design on agroparks.
He initiated the report ‘Agroproduction parks: perspectives and dilemmas’, within
which we took on the task of designing Deltapark. Jan ensured that Innonet helped
fnance the work on Agrocentrum Westpoort and New Mixed Farm. By means of
these projects the circle of researchers working on agroparks steadily grew: Jan Broeze,
Arjen Simons and Marco van Steekelenburg leant their creativity and here too the
collaboration was transdisciplinary. Te dedication and willpower of Bram Breure in
the Westpoort Agrocentrum project and the enthusiasm with which Simon Bijpost
and Rene Overdevest carried out the cost-beneft analysis on the same project are
unforgettable.
Inspired by the Regional Dialogue North Limburg, KnowHouse bv was set up in North
Limburg. Rinus van de Waart and Trudy van Megen embraced the New Mixed Farm
as a strategic spearpoint. Peter Christiaens, Huub Heijer, Martin Houben, Marcel
Kuijpers, Huub Vousten and Gert-Jan Vullings helped out as entrepreneurs. For me,
the tenacity of this couple in their long trek through the corridors of bureaucracy is
more real proof of the power of the agropark concept. Frans Tielrooij, Chris Bartels,
Arne Daalder, Evert Jacobsen, Leon Litjens and Joost Reus were invaluable coaches
and inspirers for the strategy in the Steering Group.
Te work in North Limburg showed those of us in Wageningen that the process
management of research by design had to become more professional. Te process
management of transdisciplinary regional development initially became a craft
competence, before we were able to start focusing on scientifc research. Jannemarie de
Jonge set the ball rolling by enrolling on a course at COCD. Madeleine van Mansfeld,
Annoesjka Wintjes and I followed. It was the start of a collaboration with Helga Hohn,
who continued to stimulate and coach us on how to inject creativity and multiple
intelligences. Te process work was given a boost by the work of Remco Kranendonk
and Paul Kersten at Communities of Practice. With this they laid a scientifc basis in
the working environment for learning how to learn. Te Agrologistics Platform has
the honour of having invested in this, and thanks to the Agrologistics Community
of Practice, the network of researchers, entrepreneurs and government personnel
remained intact, precisely in those years when our projects were vulnerable. ‘It can be
12 Expedition agroparks
Acknowledgements
done!’ was the constant call of Frans Tielrooij that kept us going, and Lucy Wassink
and Jochem Pleijzier defended this efort against all the scepticism of the bureaucrats
in Te Hague.
Te crowning glory of this work on process management and for me a great help in
the writing of this work, was Jannemarie de Jonge’s thesis: Landscape Architecture
between politics and science.
When I stopped working as an integral manager at the Landscape Centre of Alterra
in 2004, I actually found time to work on my dissertation. With the creative eforts of
Hein van Holsteijn we turned the sabbatical year into a project. Alterra therefore did
not have to pay for this doctorate. Tank-you, Hein, for your patience: it took longer
than budgeted for, external projects now get priority and by defnition an expedition
explores roads that later turn out to be dead ends.
Te intrinsic work on agroparks was given a real boost by TransForum, to whom I
have been seconded since 2004. Henk van Latesteijn, Jeroen Bordewijk, Johan Bouma,
Evert Jacobsen, Sander Mager, Hans Mommaas, Lia Spaans, Jan Staman, Hans van
Trijp and Tom Veldkamp: you helped me understand what sustainable development
was all about. But even more importantly: together we were the third space avant
la lettre that introduced the frst agropark system innovation. As project director
I was privileged to be able to work both at New Mixed Farm, Biopark Terneuzen
and Greenport Shanghai. Te project managers of these projects were the ones who
actually saw the results of our contributions to sustainable development materialise
as a consequence of their personal knowledge and experience: Maikki Huurdeman,
Trudy van Megen, Rinus van de Waart, Madeleine van Mansfeld and Mark van Waes.
Anne Charlotte Hoes and Barbara Regeer did the donkey work by monitoring the work
processes in detail and deriving the learning experiences from them.
As a lone strategic scout at Alterra, Bert Harms prepared the way in the period
between 2000 and 2004 for our projects in China and India. As account manager
he brought in the WAZ-Holland Park project, and made the frst contact with the
Yes Bank.
In the autumn of 2004 we worked in Changzhou on our frst overseas expedition.
Within a week we had a concept, and in that week the skills and attitudes that we
had built up along all the above-mentioned lines proved their worth. Te people
responsible for doing that were crucial: Jan Broeze, Chen Jianlin, Wibo de Graaf, Jan
de Wilt, Pim Hamminga, Bert Harms, Jiang Jin Ming, Fransje Langers, Lu Yi, Bob Ke,
Pieter Krant, Enrico Moens, Rik Olde Loohuis, Rinus van de Waart, Rene van Haef,
Madeleine Van Mansfeld, Marco Van Steekelenburg, Wang Qiang Sheng and Lucy
Wassink. Parts of that design have since been implemented; whether the whole thing
comes to fruition is too early to tell.
Expedition agroparks 13